In Western society, the media influences the way we feel, look and behave. The representation of the body ideal of men and women is scattered in the magazines we read, on television and on the Internet. Media and an individual's self-esteem are believed to play an important role in the satisfaction one has with one's body. Previous research has also explored gender differences between males and females. This study examines how media and self-esteem are related to body image satisfaction (BIS) in 49 male and female college students. Participants were asked to complete the Body Image States Scale (BISS) to assess body satisfaction and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to assess self-esteem, prior to exposure to media images and videos of the ideal body. Body satisfaction was assessed again after exposure. The findings indicate that media has a significant impact on body image satisfaction for both males and females. Furthermore, self-esteem is positively correlated with body image satisfaction in both males and females. No significant differences were found between male and female self-esteem or body image satisfaction scores. Keywords: body image satisfaction; self-esteem; average; genderBody image satisfaction: the role of the media, self-esteem and genderINTRODUCTIONLiterature ReviewIn today's society, we are bombarded with media messages about how we should look, dress and behave. The seemingly unattainable “ideal” body is broadcast on our television and movie screens, in magazines and on the Internet, showing what men and women should look like. With these images so abundant, many may see this ideal body as normal, with something less unacceptable. As technology advances, many of these images are altered in ways where they were presented on two large projection screens and both presentations lasted approximately 5 minutes. Participants were then asked to complete the BISS (after). The experiment concluded and participants were offered snacks and thanked for their time. The total duration of the experiment was approximately 15 minutes. Participants' questionnaires were evaluated after the experiment. Rosenberg self-esteem scores were calculated by assigning each question a score from 0 to 3. For example, Strongly Disagree scored 0, Disagree 1, Agree 2, and Strongly Agree 3. Items 3, 5 , 8, 9 and 10 were reverse scored. A higher score indicated higher self-esteem. For the Body Image States Scale, scores were calculated by assigning a score to each individual question from 1 to 9 (from low to high) and finding the average of the 6 questions. A higher score indicated greater body satisfaction.